Routledge Library Editions: Human Geography
Volume 5
THE GEOGRAPHY OF SEA TRANSPORT
The Geography of Sea Transport
A. D. Couper
First published in 1972
by Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd
This edition first published in 2016
by Routledge
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1972 A. D. Couper
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-138-95340-6 (Set)
ISBN: 978-1-315-65887-2 (Set) (ebk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-95723-7 (Volume 5) (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-95725-1 (Volume 5) (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-66523-8 (Volume 5) (ebk)
Publisher's Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent.
Disclaimer
The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and would welcome correspondence from those they have been unable to trace.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF SEA TRANSPORT
A. D. Couper
HUTCHINSON & CO ( Publishers ) LTD
3 Fitzroy Square, London WI
London Melbourne Sydney Auckland Wellington Johannesburg Cape Town and agencies throughout the world
First published 1972
The paperback edition of this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
The jacket/cover photograph is by courtesy of Overseas Containers Ltd.
A. D. Couper 1972
This book has been set in Times type, printed in Great Britain on antique wove paper by Anchor Press, and bound by Wm. Brendon, both of Tiptree, Essex
ISBN 0 09 112850 1 (cased)
o 09 112851 x (paper)
TO NORMA
Contents
I started to write this book during 1969 in the Department of Geography, University of Durham. The work was put aside in 1970 when I was appointed head of the Department of Maritime Studies at UWIST. Most of the book has been written at UWIST during 1971.
Where possible, statistics relate to 1971, but all commodity flow diagrams are based on 1969 figures derived mainly from the reports of Fearnley and Egers Chartering Co. Ltd, Oslo. I have also drawn on reports and documents which the Department of Maritime Studies receives from many parts of the world. Particularly useful have been the papers published by UNCTAD, some of the work of the Institute of Shipping Research, Bergen, and the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Shipping (London 1970) under Lord Rochdale. But much of the material in this book cannot be attributed to particular sources; it has been derived from several years of close contact with shipping and from personal research carried out in developed and developing countries.
I am indebted to my colleagues in the Department of Maritime Studies for reading the manuscript and making corrections. As I gave them little time to do this I cannot in any way share with them my responsibility for any errors which may remain in the book. I am especially grateful to my fellow geographers C. H. Cotter and A. Dredge, to our maritime lawyer W. E. Scobie, naval architect P. W. Penney and economist A. Hassan, while J. J. Evans and B. Thomas checked some of the statistics. I should also like to thank the editor of this series and the staff at the publishers for their understanding and very gentle pressure during my settling-in period at UWIST when so many other commitments had to take precedence over this book.
Finally, I extend my gratitude to my secretary Mrs Pat Buckingham for typing most of the MS, to Mr A. Corner of the Department of Geography, University of Durham, for producing the flow maps and to Mr R. G. C. Cooper of the Department of Civil Engineering, UWIST, for drawing most of the other figures.
Department of Maritime Studies,
UWIST, Cardiff, December 1971
A.D.C.
Brig: A two-masted square-rigged vessel usually between 100 and 350 tons.
c.i.f (cost, insurance, freight): This indicates that all charges, freight rates and insurance have been paid by the seller of the goods. The seller usually nominates the ship.
Charter party: This is the document of agreement made between a charterer and a shipowner. It normally contains details of the ship, ports of call, routes, methods of cargo handling, etc. Charters may be 'time', whereby the charterer pays the owner for the hire of the ship at an agreed rate per deadweight ton per month; 'voyage', whereby the ship is hired to carry a certain tonnage between specified ports (under time charters the charterer normally pays for fuel and often for port costs); 'bareboat' (or demise) whereby the ship is taken over for its life or for a very long period and the charterer pays all operating costs.
Clinker-built: Wooden craft with planking in which each strake overlaps the next one below.
Clipper: Square-rigged sailing ship with concave curved bow and rounded stem. Main period 1843-69.
Coir: Rope made from coconut-husk fibres.
Conference: Shipping organisation under which freight rates, schedules and other matters are agreed on between shipowners in respect of particular routes.
f.a.k. (freight all kinds): Where containers or pallets are charged for at a fixed rate irrespective of contents.
f.d. (free discharge): Shipowner meets the expenses of loading, charterer or receiver pays for unloading.
f.i.o. (free in and out): All the costs of loading and discharging are borne by the shipper or charterer.
f.o.b. (free on board): The cargo has to be delivered on board the ship free of all charges. The cost of delivering to the port and loading is thus borne by the seller of the goods. The purchaser usually nominates the ship.
Etesian winds: Northerly winds during the summer in the eastern Mediterranean (Fr. Vent Et'sien).
Lash (lighter aboard ship): A system of transporting loaded barges on board a ship.
Lateen rig: Thought to be of Arab origin. Comprises a large triangular sail attached to a long tapering yard. The peak of the sail extends high above the mast and the yard lies at 45 from the horizontal. Very fast in light winds but can be dangerous under strong gusting conditions.
